I recently watched the “Terminator 2” movie again.  If you recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character was the Terminator cyborg.  Whenever the Terminator would look at something in the real world it would be superimposed with digital information to help him make a decision.  After I watched this movie it got me thinking about the recent emphasis on mobile devices in the workplace.  The idea of having a device like an iPad to quickly look up information without being tethered to a desk or having to carry around a bulky device is certainly appealing.  However, could you imagine if the mobile device was as convenient as what the Terminator used?

So, what does a person do in the year 2011 when they are interested in a particular topic?  Of course – I went to Google to search for terms like “computer vision” and “computer lens” for stories and/or videos on this topic.  I was really surprised about the amount of research being done in this area.  The following is a video I found that was pretty interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-HD2UQ3EPXw

It actually talks about a lens that is a 2-way computer transmitter.  The original research was to sense medical information about the person wearing the lens.  This data would then be sent to a doctor.   However, the video also talks about how information can be sent back to the person and superimposed in their field of vision.

Now, can you imagine the possibilities for PLM?  Suppose I am a plant floor worker and I need instructions on how to fix a broken piece of machinery?  Since I am wearing one of these lenses perhaps I can look at the machine tag and have the latest repair instructions “downloaded” to my field of vision.  Of course, since the instructions are superimposed in my field of vision via the lens, I am now able to free up my hands to actually make the repairs – while looking at the instructions.

Using the same plant floor setting, now imagine working in the test and validation area and discovering a defect.  How neat would it be to automatically have the defect information “captured” just by recording what you see and having it sent to the proper people in R&D as part of an issue management process?

Of course, all of these use cases would have to be supplemented with some sort of interface to define what to do with the information that is seen, whether it is requesting repair instructions or reporting a defect.  After all, the Terminator cyborg’s “brain” was integrated to the “vision”.  Our researchers still have some more work to do before that point is reached, but I suspect that we are probably closer than the public realizes.